Tuesday, June 14, 2011

June 7, 2011: The Perth Mint has released the latest in the hugely popular Deadly and Dangerous series - with 2011 being the year of the Box Jelly Fish! Struck on commission, this series has seen such nasty creatures as the Red Back Spider, Great White Shark, Blue-Ringed Octopus, Saltwater Crocodile and Brown Snake immortalised on 99.9% fine silver coinage!

Carrying on the tradition of high quality Proof silver coins enhanced with stunning full-colour struck using the Perth Mint's state-of-the-art minting and printing technologies, the D&D Box Jelly Fish 1oz silver release is sure to follow the incredible demand of it's predecessors by selling out rapidly.

Box jellyfish (class Cubozoa) are cnidarian invertebrates distinguished by their cube-shaped medusae. Box jellyfish are known for the extremely potent venom produced by some species. Chironex fleckeri, Carukia barnesi and Malo kingi are among the most venomous creatures in the world. Stings from these and a few other species in the class are extremely painful and sometimes fatal to humans.

Each 2011 Deadly and Dangerous Box Jelly Fish 1oz Silver coin is struck from 31.10 grams of 99.9% pure silver on a 40.60mm flan. The coin features a design of the Box Jelly Fish in it's natural habitat of the ocean, with a small cluster of coral to the left. The coin has been struck as legal tender for the island nation of Tuvalu and comes presented in a stunning, official Perth Mint timber display case with colourful outer shipper box and accompanied by an individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

This is a must-have release for collectors of the Deadly and Dangerous series, but also an incredible one-off release for anyone keep to own a piece of this popular annual collection. With no word on whether there will ever be another Deadly and Dangerous coin released, this possibly final entry in the series becomes all the more significant.

To pay tribute to one of Australia’s greatest sporting institutions, the Perth Mint has released this stunning 99.9% silver coin, enhanced with the Aussie green & gold, for the Australian Rugby Union side, the Wallabies. An iconic piece of memorabilia leading up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup to be held in New Zealand later this year, this impressive 40.60mm precious metal issue, fashioned from 1 troy ounce (31.10 grams) of pure silver, is a must-have keepsake for any sporting enthusiast worth their salt. Struck in impeccable Proof quality and featuring the image of a Wallabies player in action, each silver coin is presented in official, high quality Perth Mint packaging, accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

As part of the 2011 Gold Koala series, ECI has been given an allocation of the 1/10oz Gold Proof, one of the more accessible coins in the series. Struck from 99.99% pure gold on a 16.10mm flan, this exciting gold issue mirrors the same design as on the popular 2011 silver Koala coin. With a worldwide mintage of just 5000, and a price set under $280, the affordability and exclusivity of this eye-catching Koala is sure to generate a great deal of demand. Set within an official Perth Mint case and colourful outer box with Certificate of Authenticity.

Perhaps the most exciting release for June is this one - the first release in a new series following on from the immensely popular Sea Life series of 2010/2011. Sure to generate as much demand as it's predecessors - all of whom have sold out at the mint with a few even scarce on the secondary market - this Sea Life II series sees a new set of 5 ocean creature-themed coins released over coming months. The first of these is dedicated to the Hawksbill Turtle, and features a fantastic image of the endangered Turtle, brilliantly displayed using the state-of-the-art pad printing techniques of the Perth Mint. Struck from one half troy ounce (15.55 grams) of 99.9% silver on a 36.60mm flan to the highest Proof quality, the limited mintage of just 10,000 coins released worldwide is sure to sell-out fast. With other colourful sea creatures such as the starfish, octopus and manta ray being immortalised in silver as part of this series over the coming months, expectations are high that this sequel series will be as popular as it's predecessor. Each high quality silver coin is supplied in a Perth Mint jewel case with full-colour outer shipper, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity confirming the limited worldwide mintage.